Nature: Carbon nanotubes wrapped in polymers can be used to test for the presence of a range of molecules in blood. The polymers are designed to attach to specific molecules. The nanotubes fluoresce naturally, but their brightness changes when they are attached to the target substance. This makes it easy to detect the presence of the substance as well as its concentration. Michael Strano of MIT and his colleagues have successfully tested the devices as both injections and subdermal implants in mice. The injectable devices can be used for detecting large molecules such as fibrinogen, which is involved in blood clotting, a process that is not easy to monitor with existing technologies. An implant for detecting nitric oxide, which was embedded in a hydrogel matrix, was functional in mice for more than a year with no local inflammation.
Despite the tumultuous history of the near-Earth object’s parent body, water may have been preserved in the asteroid for about a billion years.
October 08, 2025 08:50 PM
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Physics Today - The Week in Physics
The Week in Physics" is likely a reference to the regular updates or summaries of new physics research, such as those found in publications like Physics Today from AIP Publishing or on news aggregators like Phys.org.